Baseball Game Preview: Harlan County Black Bears vs. Clay County Tigers

The Harlan County Black Bears will venture away from home to face off against the Clay County Tigers at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. One thing working in Harlan County's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three contests.

Harlan County came out on top against Middlesboro on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive nine-run first inning. The Black Bears blew past the Yellowjackets 15-6. The victory continues a trend for the Black Bears in their matchups with the Yellowjackets: they've now won six in a row.

Harlan County got a big performance out of Aiden Craig, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one run. Dashaun Smith was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.

Meanwhile, Clay County came up short against Southwestern on Friday, falling 9-1. The game marked the Tigers' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Harlan County pushed their record up to 5-6-1 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Clay County, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 10-7 record this season.

Harlan County couldn't quite get it done against Clay County in their previous meeting back in March as they fell 3-0. Can the Black Bears avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.